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2006 NASCAR Cup Season...
       Will Feature Competitive Rookie Class

An Opinion




December 28, 2005

By Rebecca Gladden

Question: What do Richard Petty, David Pearson, Dale Earnhardt, Rusty Wallace, Alan Kulwicki, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth and Ryan Newman have in common?

Answer: They were all NASCAR Cup Rookie of the Year winners.

Earning Rookie of the Year honors is something that most young drivers strive to achieve. The title distinguishes one Cup series newcomer as the best among all rookies in a given year.

The 2006 season will feature an exceptional group of talented drivers competing for Rookie of the Year honors, including two-time Busch series champion Martin Truex, Jr., and 2005 Busch series runner-up Clint Bowyer.

In order to contend for Rookie of the Year honors, a driver can not have previously competed in more than seven Cup races in one season. Each driver must also qualify for at least eight of the first 20 Cup races to remain in ROTY contention.

Rookie of the Year candidates are scored on a unique and complex points system in which each driver's 17 best races are counted towards the title, with various bonus points awarded throughout the season. In addition, a five-member Rookie of the Year panel, comprised of various NASCAR drivers and officials, judges the ROTY candidates in three areas: conduct with officials in the garage and pits, conduct and awareness on the track, and personal appearance and conduct with the media. The panel members may penalize any rookie for actions deemed detrimental to NASCAR. At the end of the season, all applicable points are tallied and the Rookie of the Year winner is announced.

Among the drivers contending for the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Rookie of the Year honors are:

  • Clint Bowyer: 2005 was Bowyer's second year in the NASCAR Busch series, but his first as a full-time driver. Clint had two poles and two victories in Busch competition in '05 along with 22 top-10's. He led 565 laps and finished second in points to Martin Truex, Jr. Bowyer will drive the #07 Jack Daniels car for Richard Childress Racing in 2006, replacing Dave Blaney.

  • Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished fifth in Busch points in '05, his first full year in the series. He was one of several drivers in the #11 Cup car for Joe Gibbs Racing car in 2005 and landed the ride full-time for 2006 after posting three top-10's in seven Cup starts.

  • Brent Sherman: Brent is replacing Ken Schrader in the #49 car, as the latter moves to the #21 car to replace Ricky Rudd, who is retiring. Sherman ran 24 of 35 Busch races in 2005, scoring one top-10.

  • Reed Sorenson: Sorenson was impressive this year in his first full Busch season, posting two wins and 19 top-10's en route to a 4th-place points finish. The 19-year-old will be taking over the #41 car for Ganassi Racing in 2006, as Casey Mears moves to the #42 ride left open by Jamie McMurray's move to Roush Racing.

  • David Stremme: Stremme spent the last two seasons as a full-time Busch series driver, finishing 10th in points in 2004 and 13th in 2005. He made four Cup starts in '05 and will be driving the #40 car in '06, replacing Sterling Marlin, who will be in a new #14 car this season.

  • Martin Truex, Jr.: As mentioned, Truex has taken the Busch series title for two years in a row, scoring 12 wins and 48 top-10's along with 10 poles. He made seven Cup starts in 2005 with one top-10. In 2006, Truex will be behind the wheel of the #1 Dale Earnhardt, Inc., car.

  • J.J. Yeley: 2005 was Yeley's first full year in the Busch series, finishing 11th in points with 12 top-10's. J.J. was tapped by Joe Gibbs Racing to take over the #18 car being vacated by Bobby Labonte, who moves to the #43 Petty Enterprises ride after 11 years at JGR.

    The competition for 2006 Rookie of the Year is likely to be very close, intense, and a lot of fun to watch.




    Discuss this and other racing matters in the Prodigys@Speed Forum


    You can contact Rebecca at.. Insider Racing News

    The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN. Although we may not always agree with what is said, we do feel it's our duty to give a voice to those who have something relevant to say about the sport of auto racing.



       You Can Read Other Articles By Rebecca


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